Denture adhesive cream formulations have heretofore been comprised mainly of natural or synthetic polymeric adhesives suspended in an anhydrous oleagenous vehicle system generally consisting of mineral oil and/or petrolatum. These hydrophobic formulations have viscosities ranging from moderately thick to very thick making them difficult to squeeze out evenly and fluidly from the generally employed collapsible tubes or containers. However, this thickness range is necessary to prevent syneresis (i.e., phase separation) from occurring due to the solid adhesive particles being only suspended in the hydrophobic vehicle.
More recently, liquid denture adhesives have been reported containing sodium carboxymethylcellulose and ethylene oxide homopolymer as the solid adhesives suspended in mineral oil (e.g. see U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,936). Examples of such hydrophobic denture adhesives are the products commercially available from Block Drug Company, Inc. in the United States under the trademark "Dentrol" and in West Germany under the trademark "Cedenta", which are believed to contain about 41-45% w/w of sodium carboxymethylcellulose and ethylene oxide homopolymer in a mineral oil base. However, upon standing, considerable phase separation occurs thus requiring a "shake well" indication on the container.
Furthermore, whereas such formulations may be effective in securing dentures quickly within the oral cavity, it may be necessary to apply more than one application per day to obtain sufficient adhesion throughout the day, depending on the fit of the denture and the psychological need of the denture wearer. Such multiple applications are inconvenient and at times impractical or impossible and, therefore, these heretofore known denture adhesive liquids are not totally acceptable and in some cases undesirable.
Whereas these conventional types of denture adhesive creams and liquids have provided good stabilizing/hold properties to denture wearers, some organoleptic negatives have also been perceived with these products. Some of these commonly perceived negatives are, for example, unpleasant mouth feel, bad taste, grittiness, oily sensation in the mouth and difficulty of application and removal from dentures. Another disadvantage is that the salivary fluids have to penetrate a hydrophobic vehicle in order to reach and hydrate the adhesive system. This hydrophobic barrier may cause a time lag before the adhesive is hydrated and starts to work. Due to such slowed rate of hydration of adhesive components, there results a lack of immediate denture hold.
It has therefore been desirable to provide a denture adhesive of superior adherent properties over prolonged periods of time. Such is accomplished with the denture adhesive compositions herein described, a unique combination of an adhesive gum system in a novel hydrophilic vehicle system which eliminates many of the aforementioned disadvantages found with denture adhesives having conventional oleagenous vehicle systems. For example, the hydrophilicity of this unique combination facilitates the penetration of the saliva to the adhesive gum system, thereby allowing quicker hydration, and, therefore, quicker hold. Test results hereinafter demonstrate the stronger hold of the subject compositions. Furthermore, they are available in forms with variable consistencies, for example, liquids, creams and powders.